Wrong thread
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I would best describe using a gas grill as using a gas cooktop without the pan. Generally fast and hot, but each grill has its own hot/cool spots and responsiveness. Our gas Weber “Fireball” is old enough to vote and is on its way out as things are falling apart but we are low on funds after the house reno so it survives a week at a time.
My general rule is if it will be cooked in 20 minutes or less, it can go on the gas grill. Longer than that, pick a different method. I like how fast if can heat up with minimal clean up for burgers, chicken breasts, fish, brats/hot dogs, pork chops. There are some who have mastered low and slow on gas, but that’s not me. I will wrap my cast iron in foil and roast veggies on the grill when it’s super hot and I don’t want the heat in the house.
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Hello Everyone from the Twin Cities of MN where the rain repelling force fields the remodelers must have installed remain very effective. Watching almost certain rain/storms evaporate before it gets here or split with us right in the dry zone is impressive. Last week we were severe thunderstorm warned and got a whole 0.1 inch of precipitation. It’s been awhile since I posted- life keeps moving on and the kids’ activities over dinner times don’t provide for the most exciting menus- and trying to keep up with CSA veggies keeps us busy- cooking for 2 adults and 2 growing girls who are skating and swim lessening and I have one stupid fly in the kitchen I just can kill- actuals and a few plans. . .
Thurs 13: Big batch of curried red lentils with coconut milk in the slow cooker for eating in shifts with long evening of skating. Froze individual portions for easy lunch meals going forwards
Fri 14: My parents here delivering another reconstructed book case which was removed during the reno process. Grilled burgers. side salads CSA, sautéed zucchini CSA and a few things I forget
Sat 15: Home made pizza and Stromboli (sally’s baking addiction) for the first time in the new ovens (parents here) side salads CSA
Sun 16: Taco bowls with ground beef, black beans, etc fritos after my parents went home
Mon 17: Stubbed my baby toe right before bed previous night and very immobile. Mr Autumm took the girls to skating after my car had a flat at day program pick up. Mr Autumm strained his achilles on a run so bad “feet” all around here. Assorted leftovers/clear out the fridge
Tues 18: Leftover tacos and fixings in shifts as big kiddo skated and CSA pick up. Holy cucumbers batman!
Weds 19: Both kiddos swimming lessons. Some intense looking storms led us to practice severe weather basement drill and we got a whole 1/4 inch of rain. TJ’s frozen gnocchi and tomato sauce, frozen chicken strips, CSA corn on the cob
Thurs 20: Tonight! The long skating night (530-845) Mr Autumm covered for me due to my foot that still can’t fit in a shoe. Purchased meatballs and sauce with noodles delivered to those a the rink when I picked up little one. Also hot tea. Worked out really well as one of his college buddies was there so they had a nice visit while the girls skated
Fri 21: Going to do a big grocery shop as I’m getting my mobility back. I should wander downstairs and take a pork tenderloin out of the freezer and think about CSA pea pods, home grown green beans, and a whole lot of cucumbers
Thanks for being such an amazing community my internet food friends!
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Fun! How are you enjoying the new appliances? And the new everything else?!
I have to add this to my bowl rotation - thanks for the reminder!
Ouch, I can’t tell you how many times this happens to me with baby toe, 2nd toe, third toe, big toe. Ugh, so painful!
Best done in summer, because sandals / flip flops are the only viable footwear 
Worst ever was deep winter in Boston, when I was rushing down stairs on my way out to take the train home after Christmas, I slipped, went flying straight down into the back door with my… big toe 
jammed my foot into my shoes while swallowing a scream, and when I got home and finally saw a doctor, it was a hairline fracture that nothing could be done about, hurt like crazy for months, and was tender for even longer (no pedicures).
Last little toe stub was two years back just after I picked up my nephews from the airport for a visit. We went grocery shopping for things they wanted, and as I turned the corner into the kitchen to put away things, toe stubbed on the corner in a very not good way: I looked down, and baby toe had actually turned, so I knew it wasn’t minor. Turned it back (yep), went to the urgent care next door with the freshly arrived children (and their devices) in tow, and a painful X-ray ((stupid technician bent my foot and toe) later, hairline fracture: nothing to be done again but wait.
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wrong thread - reposting in correct spot.
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Cucumber ideas -
This Greek Chicken tortellini salad worked well for us . I used a standard cucumber with seeds removed.
We really like this Joy of Cooking crab or shrimp quick soup. I usually make with a homemade equivalent of cream of soup.
P. 192 Joy of Cooking “Quick Cucumber Soup Cockaigne”
Makes about 5 cups
2 ½ C. strong chicken broth (I used 14 oz can, a bit less than 2 C)
1 ½ C. pared, seeded and diced cucumbers (1 extra- large)
10 oz Can condensed cream of chicken soup
½ C. crab meat or shrimp (I use crab delights, or frozen cooked shrimp, thawed)
1 tsp. fresh parsley or chervil (1/4 tsp. dried)
Bring chicken broth to a boil. Drop in cucumber. Simmer about 15 minutes, until cucumber is translucent. Add canned cream of chicken soup and bring to a boil. Add crab or shrimp, and herbs.
Heat but don’t boil. Serve at once.
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Hello everyone it’s a dreary day in Ottawa, Canada where the temperature is finally comfortable but it has been overcast and drizzling all morning. We could use the rain though. Now that my pay has been sorted out I can get out a little more and enjoy what is left of the summer. There is an Asian festival on this weekend so I will probably head up tomorrow night. It’s on Sparks Street - our outdoor pedestrian mall downtown - and they have food trucks set up the length of the mall with some unique Asian dishes on offer. I really enjoyed the bbq’d squid I had last year and I hope it’s available again this year. Onto my menus for a solo diner this week:
Today: Take out lunch is a meatball sandwich from a nearby deli. I haven’t had one since last year and it tastes so good! 
Dinner tonight will be a salad - probably a potato salad since I got a bumper crop in my CSA yesterday.
Saturday: Off to the Asian festival in search of squid. If I don’t find any I’m sure I’ll find something I like!
Sunday: The last serving of shrimp in the freezer. Either shrimp sautéed in garlic with pan fried zucchini with pesto sauce or shrimp curry with the bok choy left in the fridge.
Monday: Pork chop and potato casserole from my Harrowsmith cookbook, the last of the squash in the freezer on the side.
Tuesday: Vegetarian peanut soup.
Wednesday: Pasta puttanesca, veggies tbd.
Thursday: The last Korean short rib in the freezer, tomato potato salad with capers.
Have a nice week everyone and hopefully you are surviving the heat/rain/smoke.
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@Autumm2 I use cucumbers most often in Greek food - eg tzatziki or a cucumber-tomato salad to go with gyros or souvlaki. Or the cucumbers vinaigrette recipe from Moosewood Low-Fat which I no longer have (the cookbook, not the fat) but saved to Recipe Keeper before donating:
2 English cucumbers (or equivalent length of regular cucumbers, peeled and seeded), sliced thinly - I use the Cuisinart
1/4 C apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 1/2 T sugar
1/2 t dried mustard
1/2 t dried dill or 1 1/2 T fresh dill
S&P to taste
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There’s a good cucumber salad with mustard and dill in the Gourmet Today cookbook. For one English cucumber (or equivalent), halved, seeded, cut in 1/4-inch slices, the dressing is 2 tsp white wines vinegar, 2 tsp Dijon mustard (I use 1 T), 1 1/2 tsp sugar (I use 1 tsp honey for a honey mustard variation), 1/2 tsp salt or to taste, 1 T mild olive oil, / T chopped fresh dill.
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Laughed out loud.
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Oops, got busy and can’t edit anymore. Should read 2 T chopped dill (but really, however much you like, obviously).
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Oh the feet! The toe injuries are so acute! And the girls swimming and ice skating! So good the renovators force field is holding…do you think they would come to Boston to give us one?
We are finally getting an actual thunderstorm here with all the components: thunder, lightning, and rain. These are rare in Boston. One of the few things I miss about growing up in the south.
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Love the Greek pasta salad idea- big kiddo has to pack lunches for skate camp next week and that will be perfect as I’m presuming it’s pretty good at semi-chilled temperature.
Except for Mr Autumm we love cucumbers just sliced but I have to be careful as they can turn into low calorie fiber bombs my GI tract can’t handle as well as it used to.
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Gyros with tzatziki - and probably zucchini fritters with tzatziki - are on my plans- I just need to get to Costco to pick up a pack of the gyros meat.
And I too have lost the cookbook but the fat lingers
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My cousin went to Boston College after growing up near Denver. The lack of thunderstorms was very strange for her. Storms keep missing us- which the last round of storms produced egg to softball sized hail- so I am very okay with not getting that. Fortunately our CSA is doing better than us and getting some rain- I would rather the veggies get it than our creeping charlie.
And yes toes are sooo sensitive! I’m so glad Mr Autumm could handle skating duties this week- my poor feet would have froze in sandals there
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We are mostly settled back in and learning about the new appliances and house in general. I keep reminding myself I have had 3 kitchens in under a year - original house, very quirky apartment, and now new house, so there has been a lot of learning curves. And big kiddo is itching to “learn to cook” I’m like I’m still learning to cook here!
We still need to finish painting, but I’m not sure of what color I want into the adjacent family room we are holding off on that. My dad is going to build us a buffet table for the original eat in area and we need to figure out storage for coats/shoes/back packs, but it is so good to be Home!
Some pics from this evening- I realized I never shared and to keep this on topic that is some CSA zucchini in the skillet
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Your kitchen is beautiful! It must have been worth the wait.
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WOW, Wow, WOW - beautiful kitchen! Love all the windows and light. You’ll have fun teaching the girls to cook in such a great space.
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Gorgeous kitchen!
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